mackinney



(No Model.)

' H. G. MAGKINNEY.

. 7 BAR RING. No. 298,762. Patented May 20, 1884.

WITNEESEE. l-NVENTDRH i rrn are 'p rrinn.

EAR-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,762, dated May 20, 1884.

Application filed November 16, 1883. (No model.)

To to whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT G. llIAOKIN- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ear- Rings, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to that class of ear-rings having a bow of spring-wire which passes through the lobe of the ear and is afterward secured by a hook or clasp. As ordinarily made, the bow is normally closed and requires to be sprung open in order to pass it through the perforation in the car. This is attended with considerable inconvenience to the wearer, and the bow is likewise liable to be broken or bent out of shape.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient means of opening the bow, so that it may be readily inserted and without strain to the same; and to this end I form a simple joint in one arm of the bow, which allows the lower end of such arm to be turned to one side, while the other arm is passed through the perforation of the ear, after which the bow is again closed and clasped.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of my said invention. Fig. 2 is aside view of the joint, enlarged, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a front view of the joint, the dotted lines showing a section of the movable portion of the arm turned to one side.

B is the bow, J the joint, 0 the clasp or hook, and P the pendant or ornament.

I form the joint J by cutting the wire composing the bow at the point where the joint is to be located, and soldering a short tube, t, to the end of the shortened arm, placing the axis of the tube in the plane of the bow. It is obvious that the tube maybe formed, if de sired, fromthe end of the wire itself, dispensing with solder. I next form a head, h, on an end of the detached piece of the arm, and pass it through the tube from the outside till the head rests against the end of the tube. The movable arm is then bent at right angles to the axis of the tube, which prevents its withdrawal; and, lastly,the hook is formed, which 5oembraces the opposite end of the bow.

A stop may be formed to limit the swing of the movable arm by raising a shoulder, s, on the outerend of the tube t, and cutting away a portion of the head h, adjacent to such shoulder, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It is obvious that various other stopping devices may readily be employed for the same purpose.

The joint is preferably placed behind the pendant, so as to be concealed.

I am aware that jointed bows for ear-rings are in use; but the joints, so far as I am aware, are made with a rivet-pin, and open in the plane of the bow. Objections to such construction are found in the liability to loss of the rivet, endangering the loss of the ear-ring itself. Another objection to such construction is that in case the bow becomes accidentally unclasped, the movable portion of the bow is thus free to swing forward, and no longer forms any resistance to the tendency of the pendant by its weight to turn the bow in the ear and draw it out. The joint of my invention obviates all these objections, is simple and easily made, not liable to fall to pieces, and keeps the swinging portion in its proper position for retaining the earring in place although the clasp should become detached.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The bow of an ear-ring, one arm of which is provided with a joint having its axis in the plane of the bow, whereby the lower or movable portion of said arm is made to swing at right angles to said plane.

2. The bow of an ear-ring, provided with a joint, substantially as described, and having stops to limit the movement of the movable "portion, for the purpose specified.

3. The bow of an ear-ring, one arm of which is provided with a joint having its axis in the plane of the bow, whereby the movable portion of said arm is made to swing at right angles to said plane, said joint being composed, substantially, of a tube, in which said movable arm is made to turn.

HERBERT G. MACKINNEY.

WVitnesses:

STEPHEN W. Nroxnason-,- OSCAR LAPHAM. 

